Eyelet.



Patented Nov. 25 E. KEMPSHALL.

E Y E L E T.

(Application led Apr. 4, 1902A,

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED FAST COLOR EYELET COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

EYELET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 714,191, dated November 25, 1902.

Application filed April 4. 1902. Serial No. 101,425. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELEAZER KEMPSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Eyelets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to eyelets such as used in shoes and other articles; and its object 1o is to enable the production at low cost of a highly durable character.

The japan which is usually applied to eyelets is liable to crack and chip off either from the pressure of the clenching-tools or subse- I 5 quently when the shoe is in use, and for this reason japanned or enameled eyelets have been considered objectionable and not adapted for fine shoes. I contrive to overcome this objection to a japanned or enameled eyelet zo and produce an article suitable for the best shoes, butat very W cost.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a view, partly in section, of an eyelet made according to my present improvements.

z 5 The gromet or metal blank for the eyelet may consist of a head A and a body B, adapted to be clenched upon the material to be eyeleted and preferably tubular in form, as illustrated, the head A being in the nature of 3o a flaring portion formed upon one end of the body. To the head A, I apply brous material, preferably woven fabric and preferably in the form of an annulus C. This annulus or cap may be caused to adhere to the 3 5 metal, if desired, by means of shellac or other adherent substance, or the sheet material from which the annulus is cut may be coated on one side with mucilage or the like, so that the annulus may with facility be applied to 4o the head A and caused to adhere thereto at least temporarily. Whether adherent material is used or not, however, I prefer to make the annulus oversize and to crimp the outer edge thereof down and beneath the edge of the head A, as at D.

When the gromet has been capped with fabric, I apply a coat or coats of japan or other enameling material preferably all over the eyelet, as at E. The japan may be applied 5o in a Well-known manner. Should the cap be applied to the gromet by means of a temporary adhesive material, the japan upon hardening locks the cap permanently in position independently of such adhesive material, although I prefer to depend both upon a permanent adhesive film and upon the japan to secure the fabric cap. In any event the japan coating tends to prevent the edges of the cap from lipping,and hence helps prevent separation of the cap bodily from the eyelet. The japan coat adheres to the fabric far better than to metal, so that the coat is rendered far more stable than heretofore. Thus while the cap may be secured at least partially by the japan the latter is given a better hold upon the eyelet because of the presence of the fabric cap. Further, by carrying the cap over the edge of the metal the latter is eifectually prevented from cutting through the japan, and since the cap may have any color to match 1o the japan or other enamel it will be seen that even if a part of the japan should become detached after long use still the appearance of the eyelet or shoe is not necessarily marred.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of my improvements.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. An eyelet having a head and a body, a cap of fibrous material applied to said head, 8o and a coating of enamel upon said capped head.

2. An eyelet having a head and a body, a cap consisting of an annulus of woven material and applied to said head, and a coating of enamel covering said capped head.

3. An eyelet having a tubular body'and a flaring head, an annulus of Woven fabric cemented upon said head, and a coating of enamel upon said fabric and head. 9o

4f. An eyelet having a metallic body terminating in a head, an oversize annulus of fabric applied to said head and turned over the edge thereof, and a coating of enamel upon said fabric and head. 9 5

5. An eyelet having a metallic tubular body'v terminating in a flaring head, an annulus of fabric applied upon said head and crimped over the edge thereof, and a coating of enamel applied all over said annulus and eyelet.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. COPENHAVER, WM. H. DE LACY. 

